Speed control apparatus of the general type involved herein is known to those skilled in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,903,810; 4,059,053; and 4,348,961.
The apparatus of the general type involved herein controls the angular position of a drive wheel on a driverless vehicle. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the angular position of the drive wheel controls the speed of the vehicle. The speed control devices disclosed in said patents move between a deceleration position and an acceleration position at a uniform speed.
The present invention is directed to recognition that it would be desirable to have the control device move rapidly during an initial portion of its movement and then move slowly for the remainder of its movement. As a result thereof, the driverless vehicle will move quickly from a stop position to a position corresponding to an intermediate speed and thereafter will accelerate in a controlled manner.